Deleting information to maintain security level

ABSTRACT

A method, system, mediation server, client, and computer program for deleting a copied file in which a master file is duplicated while maintaining a certain level of security. A mediation server receives and stores a copied file in which a master file stored in a server is duplicated, generates private-key information and public-key information, and transmits the generated public-key information and the copied file to a client. The client receives and stores the copied file and the public-key information. In a case where the copied file is updated, the client encrypts difference information on the difference arising in the updating using the public-key information and transmits the difference information to the mediation server. The client determines whether the condition for being secure is satisfied when a process for updating the copied file becomes possible. When determining that the condition is not satisfied, the client deletes the copied file.

This application is a continuation of and claims priority under 35U.S.C. §371 to International Application No. PCT/JP2012/069633 filed onAug. 1, 2012, which claims priority to JP 2011-225285 filed on Oct. 12,2011. The contents of both aforementioned applications are incorporatedherein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method, system, mediation server,client, and computer program for deleting information while maintaininga certain level of security without sacrificing user convenience.

BACKGROUND ART

Methods of encrypting and using information to protect classifiedinformation are widely available. Typically, information is encrypted ordecrypted using an encryption key. For example, Patent Literature 1discloses a system for managing document use. In this system, when anelectronic document stored in a document management server is edited ata client terminal, only difference data is transmitted to the documentmanagement server to update the document. Patent Literature 2 disclosesa collaborative file update system for encrypting a difference file andtransmitting it to an access server.

The system in Patent Literature 2 retains security by encrypting adifference file using an encryption key. Typically, an encryption key isprotected with a login password in most cases. In such cases, if thepassword is leaked, guessed, or the like, the encryption key can beretrieved even when any strong encryption has been performed. Thus,downloading classified information is allowed on the condition that datacommunication with a time limit or at established intervals is carriedout with a server; if the condition is not met, the classifiedinformation is automatically deleted.

For example, Patent Literature 3 discloses a content management systemfor deleting a duplicate copied file when a deletion request is receivedfrom a client side or when the availability period of the copied file ofthe duplicated content has expired.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

-   PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.    2008-003847-   PTL 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication    (Translation of PCT Application) No. 2007-531071-   PTL 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.    2006-252312

SUMMARY Technical Problem

Even if an encryption key is read, deletion of a duplicate copied filecan prevent the possibility of leakage of classified information.However, there is an issue in that if the condition for deleting theduplicate copied file is loose, then the loss, theft, or the like ofclassified information may be undetectable; if the condition is strict,even with an authorized user, the condition may not be satisfied andthus the classified information may be deleted, depending on thesurrounding environment, such as the status of radio waves or theremaining battery power.

In light of such circumstances, it is an object of the present inventionto provide a method, system, mediation server, client, and computerprogram for deleting a copied file in which a master file is duplicatedwhile maintaining a certain level of security.

Solution to Problem

A method according to a first aspect of the invention to achieve theabove object is executable in a system including a server, a client, anda mediation server. The server stores a master file. The client isconnected to the server so as to be able to perform data communicationtherewith. The mediation server is connected to the server and theclient so as to be able to perform data communication therewith. Thesystem updates a file using a copied file in which the master file isduplicated. The mediation server receives and stores the copied file inwhich the master file stored in the server is duplicated and generatesprivate-key information and public-key information associated with theprivate-key information and transmits the generated public-keyinformation and the copied file to the client. The client receives andstores the copied file and the public-key information. In a case wherethe copied file is updated, the client encrypts difference informationon a difference arising in the updating using the public-key informationand transmits the difference information to the mediation server. Theclient determines whether a condition for being secure is satisfied whena process for updating the copied file becomes possible and deletes thecopied file when it is determined that the condition is not satisfied.

For a method according to a second aspect of the invention, in the firstaspect, the condition may be information on a physical location wherethe client is used.

For a method according to a third aspect of the invention, in the firstaspect, the client may measure a time elapsed since receipt of thepublic-key information and the copied file from the mediation server anddetermine whether the condition is satisfied using a time elapsed sincea predetermined point in time.

For a method according to a fourth aspect of the invention, in any oneof the first to third aspects of the invention, in a case where acheck-in request for the copied file is accepted, the client may deletethe public-key information and the copied file, and in a case where thecheck-in request for the copied file is accepted from the client, themediation server may replace the master file in the server with thestored copied file and delete the public-key information, theprivate-key information associated with the public-key information, andthe copied file.

A system according to a fifth aspect of the invention to achieve theabove object includes a server storing a master file, a client connectedto the server so as to be able to perform data communication therewith,and a mediation server connected to the server and the client so as tobe able to perform data communication therewith. The system updates afile using a copied file in which the master file is duplicated. Themediation server includes copied-file acquiring means for acquiring andstoring the copied file in which the master file stored in the server isduplicated and transmitting means for generating private-key informationand public-key information associated with the private-key informationand transmitting the generated public-key information and the copiedfile to the client. The client includes receiving means for receivingand storing the copied file and the public-key information,difference-information transmitting means for, in a case where thecopied file is updated, encrypting difference information on adifference arising in the updating using the public-key information andtransmitting the difference information to the mediation server,condition determining means for determining whether a condition forbeing secure is satisfied when a process for updating the copied filebecomes possible, and copied-file deleting means for deleting the copiedfile when it is determined that the condition is not satisfied.

For a system according to a sixth aspect of the invention, in the fifthaspect, the condition may be information on a physical location wherethe client is used.

For a system according to a seventh aspect of the invention, in thefifth aspect, the client may further include time measuring means formeasuring a time elapsed since receipt of the public-key information andthe copied file from the mediation server, and the condition determiningmeans may determine whether the condition is satisfied using a timeelapsed since a predetermined point in time.

For a system according to an eighth aspect of the invention, in any oneof the fifth to seventh aspects of the invention, the client may furtherinclude deleting means for, in a case where a check-in request for thecopied file is accepted, deleting the public-key information and thecopied file, and the mediation server may further includekey-information/copied-file deleting means for, in a case where thecheck-in request for the copied file is accepted from the client,replacing the master file in the server with the stored copied file anddeleting the public-key information, the private-key informationassociated with the public-key information, and the copied file.

A mediation server according to a ninth aspect of the invention toachieve the above object is connected to a server and a client so as tobe able to perform data communication therewith. The server stores amaster file. The client is connected to the server so as to be able toperform data communication therewith. The mediation server includescopied-file acquiring means for acquiring and storing the copied file inwhich the master file stored in the server is duplicated, transmittingmeans for generating private-key information and public-key informationassociated with the private-key information and transmitting thegenerated public-key information and the copied file to the client, andkey-information/copied-file deleting means for, in a case where thecheck-in request for the copied file is accepted from the client,replacing the master file in the server with the stored copied file anddeleting the public-key information, the private-key informationassociated with the public-key information, and the copied file.

A computer program according to a 10th aspect of the invention toachieve the above object is executable in a mediation server. Themediation server is connected to a server and a client so as to be ableto perform data communication therewith. The server stores a masterfile. The client is connected to the server so as to be able to performdata communication therewith. The computer program causes the mediationserver to function as copied-file acquiring means for acquiring andstoring the copied file in which the master file is duplicated,transmitting means for generating private-key information and public-keyinformation associated with the private-key information and transmittingthe generated public-key information and the copied file to the client,and key-information/copied-file deleting means for, in a case where thecheck-in request for the copied file is accepted from the client,replacing the master file in the server with the stored copied file anddeleting the public-key information, the private-key informationassociated with the public-key information, and the copied file.

A client according to an 11th aspect of the invention to achieve theabove object is connected to a server and a mediation server so as to beable to perform data communication therewith. The server stores a masterfile. The mediation server stores a copied file in which the mediationserver stored in the server is duplicated. The client includes receivingmeans for receiving and storing the copied file and the public-keyinformation, difference-information transmitting means for, in a casewhere the copied file is updated, encrypting difference information on adifference arising in the updating using the public-key information andtransmitting the difference information to the mediation server,condition determining means for determining whether a condition forbeing secure is satisfied when a process for updating the copied filebecomes possible, and copied-file deleting means for deleting the copiedfile when it is determined that the condition is not satisfied.

For a client according to a 12th aspect of the invention, in the 11thaspect of the invention, the condition may be information on a physicallocation where the client is used.

For a client according to a 13th aspect of the invention, in the 11thaspect of the invention, the client may further include time measuringmeans for measuring a time elapsed since receipt of the public-keyinformation and the copied file from the mediation server, and thecondition determining means may determine whether the condition issatisfied using a time elapsed since a predetermined point in time.

For a client according to a 14th aspect of the invention, in any one ofthe 11th to 13th aspects of the invention, the client may furtherinclude deleting means for, in a case where a check-in request for thecopied file is accepted, deleting the public-key information and thecopied file.

A computer program according to a 15th aspect of the invention toachieve the above object is executable in a client. The client isconnected to a server and a mediation server so as to be able to performdata communication therewith. The server stores a master file. Themediation server stores a copied file in which the master file stored inthe server is duplicated. The computer program causes the client tofunction as receiving means for receiving and storing the copied fileand the public-key information, difference-information transmittingmeans for, in a case where the copied file is updated, encryptingdifference information on a difference arising in the updating using thepublic-key information and transmitting the difference information tothe mediation server, condition determining means for determiningwhether a condition for being secure is satisfied when a process forupdating the copied file becomes possible, and copied-file deletingmeans for deleting the copied file when it is determined that thecondition is not satisfied.

Advantages

According to the present invention, an updating process is performed ona copied file stored in the mediation server, and encryption-keyinformation for use in encrypting and decrypting difference informationis also generated in the mediation server. Therefore, if a client thatperforms the updating process is missing, stolen, or the like, themaster file in the server can be prevented from being directly tamperedwith or the like. When the condition for being secure is not satisfied,such as when no access to a copied file has been made for a certainlength of time or when a certain length of time has elapsed sincedisconnection from the network, the copied file can be deleted withreliability, and the security of the master file containing classifiedinformation can be maintained at a high level.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates theconfiguration of a file updating system according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram that illustrates the configuration of a clientaccording to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the file updating systemaccording to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart that illustrates a procedure performed by acentral processing unit (CPU) of the client in the file updating systemaccording to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an updating process inthe file updating system according to the embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a process occurring whenthe client in the file updating system according to the embodiment ofthe present invention is stolen.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart that illustrates a procedure performed by a CPU ofa mediation server in the file updating system according to theembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a process occurring incheck-out requesting in the file updating system according to theembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a process occurring incheck-in requesting in the file updating system according to theembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a process occurring inrecovering a file in the file updating system according to theembodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

A system for deleting information while maintaining a certain level ofsecurity without sacrificing user convenience according to an embodimentof the present invention is specifically described below on the basis ofthe drawings. The embodiment described below does not intend to limitthe invention described in the claims, and it is needless to say thatnot all of the combinations of the features described in the embodimentare required for the solving means. In the present specification,“check-out” indicates retrieving a writable copy of the master file thatis a target for updating, and “check-in” indicates updating a masterfile with an updated content.

The present invention can be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to the content described in the embodiment.In the embodiment, the same number refers to the same element.

An apparatus that installs a computer program in a computer system isdescribed in the embodiment below. As is apparent to those skilled inthe art, the present invention can be achieved in part as a computerprogram executable by a computer. Accordingly, the present invention cantake an embodiment as hardware of a system for deleting informationwhile maintaining a certain level of security without sacrificing userconvenience, an embodiment as software, or an embodiment as acombination of software and hardware. The computer program can berecorded in a recording medium readable by any computer, such as a harddisk, a digital versatile disc (DVD), a compact disk (CD), an opticalstorage device, and a magnetic storage device.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, an updatingprocess is performed on a copied file stored in the mediation server,and encryption-key information for use in encrypting and decryptingdifference information is also generated in the mediation server.Therefore, if a client that performs the updating process is missing,stolen, or the like, the master file in the server can be prevented frombeing directly tampered with or the like. When the condition for beingsecure is not satisfied, such as when no access to a copied file hasbeen made for a certain length of time or when a certain length of timehas elapsed since disconnection from the network, the copied file can bedeleted with reliability, and the security of the master file containingclassified information can be maintained at a high level.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates theconfiguration of a file updating system according to the embodiment ofthe present invention. In the file updating system according to thepresent embodiment, a server 1 that stores a master file that is atarget for updating and a client 2 that updates a file are connected toeach other so as to be able to perform data communication with eachother over a network 3. In addition to it, a mediation server 4 isconnected to the server 1 and the client 2 over the network 3 so as tobe able to perform data communication therewith.

The mediation server 4 includes at least a central processing unit (CPU)41, a memory 42, a storage device 43, an I/O interface 44, a videointerface 45, a portable disk drive 46, a communication interface 47,and an internal bus 48 connecting the pieces of hardware describedabove.

The CPU 41 is connected to the pieces of hardware described above in themediation server 4 through the internal bus 48, controls the operationsof the pieces of hardware described above, and carries out varioussoftware functions in accordance with a computer program 100 stored inthe storage device 43. The memory 42 includes a volatile memory, such asa static random access memory (SRAM) or a synchronous dynamic randomaccess memory (SDRAM). In execution of the computer program 100, a loadmodule is loaded into the memory 42, and the memory 42 stores temporarydata and the like occurring in the execution of the computer program100.

The storage device 43 includes an internal fixed storage (hard disk), aread-only memory (ROM), or the like. The computer program 100 stored inthe storage device 43 is the one downloaded by the portable disk drive46 from a portable recording medium 90, such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, onwhich information, such as a program and data, is recorded. The computerprogram 100 is loaded from the storage device 43 into the memory 42 andexecuted. The computer program 100 may be a computer program downloadedfrom an external computer connected via the communication interface 47.

The storage device 43 includes a copied-file storage unit 431 thatstores a copied file in which the master file in the server 1 isduplicated and a condition-information storage unit 432 that storescondition information on a condition for being secure when an updatingprocess becomes possible. The copied file is stored in the copied-filestorage unit 431 at the time of check-out requesting for the master fileand is deleted from the copied-file storage unit 431 at the time ofcheck-in requesting. Private-key information and public-key informationgenerated for each copied file are also stored.

Examples of the condition information on a condition for being securestored in the condition-information storage unit 432 can include thetime elapsed since the last disconnection of communication with theclient 2, the time elapsed since receipt of a check-out request, and arange of the physical location (information on the location) of theclient 2 based on a global positioning system (GPS) signal or the like.The condition information is transmitted to the client 2 at the time oftransmission of the copied file.

The communication interface 47 is connected to the internal bus 48, andis connected to an external network, such as the Internet, a local areanetwork (LAN), and a wide area network (WAN), and is thus allowed totransmit and receive data to and from an external computer and the like.

The I/O interface 44 is connected to an input device, such as a keyboard61 and a mouse 62, and entered data is accepted therethrough. The videointerface 45 is connected to a display device 63, such as a cathode-raytube (CRT) display or a liquid crystal display, and a predeterminedimage is displayed thereon.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram that illustrates the configuration of theclient 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Theclient 2 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, aCPU 21, a memory 22, a storage device 23, an I/O interface 24, a videointerface 25, a portable disk drive 26, a communication interface 27,and an internal bus 28 connecting the pieces of hardware describedabove. The portable disk drive 26 is optional.

The CPU 21 is connected to the pieces of hardware described above in theclient 2 through the internal bus 28, controls the operations of thepieces of hardware described above, and carries out various softwarefunctions in accordance with a computer program 101 stored in thestorage device 23. The memory 22 includes a volatile memory, such as anSRAM or an SDRAM. In execution of the computer program 101, a loadmodule is loaded into the memory 22, and the memory 22 stores temporarydata and the like occurring in the execution of the computer program101.

The storage device 23 includes an internal fixed storage (hard disk), aROM, or the like. The computer program 101 stored in the storage device23 is the one downloaded by the portable disk drive 26 from a portablerecording medium 91, such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, on which information,such as a program and data, is recorded. The computer program 101 isloaded from the storage device 23 into the memory 22 and executed. Thecomputer program 101 may be a computer program downloaded from anexternal computer connected via the communication interface 27.

The storage device 23 includes an updating-target-file storage unit 231that stores a copied file that is a target for updating and adifference-information storage unit 232 that stores differenceinformation in the case where the copied file is updated. The copiedfile is received from the mediation server 4 and stored in theupdating-target-file storage unit 231. The difference information isstored in the difference-information storage unit 232 as information onthe difference arising in updating performed after the completion of theprevious updating process. The updating-target-file storage unit 231 maypreferably store the copied file being encrypted.

The communication interface 27 is connected to the internal bus 28, andis connected to an external network, such as the Internet, a LAN, and aWAN, and is thus allowed to transmit and receive data to and from anexternal computer and the like.

The I/O interface 24 is connected to an input device, such as a keyboard61 and a mouse 62, and entered data is accepted therethrough. The videointerface 25 is connected to a display device 63, such as a CRT displayor a liquid crystal display, and a predetermined image is displayedthereon. The input device and the display device may be integrated as atouch-sensitive display.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the file updating systemaccording to the embodiment of the present invention. A check-outrequest transmitting unit 201 in the client 2 transmits a check-outrequest accepted by the client 2 from a user through the keyboard 61,the mouse 62, or the like, to the mediation server 4. The check-outrequest contains information for use in authentication of the user whoattempts to make check-out by the server 1, for example, a combinationof the user ID and the password, and information for use in identifyingthe file being the target for updating, for example, a file name or thelike.

All data communication between the client 2 and the mediation server 4is performed in the state where the data is encrypted. Each of theclient 2 and the mediation server 4 implements authentication tovalidate the authenticity of the communication partner before performingthe data communication. The authenticating method may preferably use acertificate. This can eliminate an operation by a user of the client 2,such as inputting a user ID, when the client 2 attempts to start datacommunication with the mediation server 4 and enables the client 2 toautomatically start the data communication without additional action ofthe user.

When receiving the check-out request from the client 2, a copied-fileacquiring unit 401 in the mediation server 4 transmits the check-outrequest for an identified master file 111 to the server 1, receives andacquires from the server 1 a copied file in which the master file 111being the identified file in a master DB 11 is duplicated, and storesthe copied file in the copied-file storage unit 431 in the storagedevice 43. A key-information generating unit 402 generates private-keyinformation and public-key information in association with the acquiredcopied file and stores them in the storage device 43 in association withinformation for identifying the copied file, for example, the file name.A copied file/public-key information transmitting unit 403 transmits thegenerated public-key information and the copied file to the client 2,which has transmitted the check-out request.

A copied file/public-key information receiving unit 202 in the client 2receives the copied file and the public-key information from themediation server 4 and stores them in the updating-target-file storageunit 231 in the storage device 23.

An update detecting unit 203 in the client 2 detects that the copiedfile stored in the updating-target-file storage unit 231 has beenupdated. When the update detecting unit 203 detects that the storedcopied file has been updated, a difference-information encrypting unit204 extracts difference information on the difference arising in theupdating and encrypts the difference information using the public-keyinformation. A difference-information transmitting unit 205automatically attempts to communicate with the mediation server 4 assoon as the difference information is encrypted. As soon as the datacommunication becomes possible, the difference-information transmittingunit 205 transmits the encrypted difference information to the mediationserver 4. Because the difference information is encrypted, if amalicious third party illegally acquires the difference information,that third party cannot read the updated content. In the preferredembodiment, the update detecting unit 203 has the functions to monitor afile operation on the operating system and to prohibit a copied file onthe client 2 from being moved to a place other than theupdating-target-file storage unit 231, being duplicated, and being savedwith another name.

A difference-information receiving unit 404 in the mediation server 4receives the encrypted difference information. A difference-informationdecrypting unit 405 decrypts the difference information using the storedprivate-key information. A difference-information applying unit 406applies the decrypted difference information to a copied file 54 storedin the mediation server 4 to update the copied file 54 to the latestupdate state and prepare to update the master file 111 in the master DB11 in the server 1. The latest copied file 54 stored in the mediationserver 4 is not applied to the master file 111 in the server 1 until acheck-in request is received from the client 2.

A condition determining unit 206 in the client 2 determines whether thecondition for being secure is satisfied when a process for updating thecopied file becomes possible. “When a process for updating the copiedfile becomes possible” indicates a broad concept that contains at thetime of startup of the client 2 (including at the time of resuming fromhibernation), at the time of unlocking a screen lock, and the like andthat refers to at the time when any kind of operation can be made on thecopied file.

The condition for being secure is not limited to, for example, acondition specified by the period of time, such as the time elapsedsince the last data communication with the mediation server 4 or thetime elapsed since transmission of a check-out request. Other examplesof the condition for being secure may include a condition based oninformation sufficient for estimating an unauthorized access attempt,such as a situation where the clock incorporated in the client 2indicates the time before the time of the last data communication withthe mediation server 4 or a situation where the number of times ofinputting of incorrect passwords exceeds a predetermined number oftimes, and a condition based on information on the location, such as aphysical location range of the client 2 detected using a GPS signal orthe like or a physical location range of the client 2 estimated on thebasis of information from the nearest base station in a wireless LAN.

When the condition determining unit 206 determines that the conditionfor being secure is not satisfied when a process for updating the copiedfile becomes possible, a copied-file deleting unit 207 in the client 2deletes the copied file stored in the updating-target-file storage unit231 in the client 2 in a method that disables restoring of the copiedfile. An example of the method disabling restoring of the copied filecan be a method of storing the copied file being encrypted by common keycryptography and erasing encrypted key information. Because the copiedfile is deleted, if difference information that has not yet beentransmitted to the mediation server 4 remains, the copied file cannot berestored.

A check-in request transmitting unit 208 in the client 2 accepts acheck-in request to update the master file 111 in the server 1 with thelatest updated copied file. The check-in request typically containsinformation for use in authentication of a user who attempts to makecheck-in by the server 1, for example, a combination of a user ID and apassword, or alternatively, if a user has made check-out on a pluralityof files, contains information for use in identifying a file forcheck-in, for example, a file name or the like. Akey-information/copied-file deleting unit 209 deletes the public-keyinformation and the stored copied file.

When receiving the check-in request from the client 2, a copied-filetransmitting unit 407 in the mediation server 4 duplicates the copiedfile 54 stored at that time and transmits it as the updated file to theserver 1 to update the master file 111. A key-information/copied-filedeleting unit 408 deletes the public-key information, private-keyinformation associated with that public-key information, and the copiedfile 54.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart that illustrates a procedure performed by the CPU21 of the client 2 in the file updating system according to theembodiment of the present invention. The CPU 21 of the client 2 acceptsa check-out request (step S401) and transmits the accepted check-outrequest to the mediation server 4 (step S402). The check-out requestcontains information for use in identifying a file that is the targetfor updating, for example, a file name or the like.

The CPU 21 receives a copied file corresponding to the transmittedcheck-out request and public-key information for use in encryptingdifference information from the mediation server 4 (step S403) andstores them in the updating-target-file storage unit 231 of the storagedevice 23 (step S404).

The CPU 21 determines whether the condition for being secure issatisfied when a process for updating the copied file becomes possible(step S405). When determining that the condition for being secure issatisfied (YES in step S405), the CPU 21 detects updating of the storedcopied file (step S406) and extracts the difference information on thedifference arising in the updating (step S407). To extract thedifference between the stored copied file and the updated copied fileafter the completion of the updating process as the differenceinformation, a duplication of the copied file before the updating isstored and that duplication is compared with the copied file after theupdating. The CPU 21 encrypts the extracted difference information usingthe public-key information (step S408) and transmits the encrypteddifference information to the mediation server 4 (step S409).

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an updating process inthe file updating system according to the embodiment of the presentinvention. As illustrated in FIG. 5, when detecting updating of a copiedfile 52, the CPU 21 extracts difference information 51 as the differencefrom the copied file before the updating and encrypts the differenceinformation 51 using public-key information 30 using the computerprogram 101 running in the client 2.

The CPU 21 transmits the encrypted difference information to themediation server 4. When receiving the difference information, the CPU41 decrypts the difference information 51 using private-key information31 and applies the decrypted difference information 51 to the storedcopied file 54 to update it using the computer program 100 running inthe mediation server 4. At this time, no difference information isapplied to the master file 111.

Referring back to FIG. 4, when determining that the condition for beingsecure is not satisfied (NO in step S405), the CPU 21 of the client 2deletes the stored copied file (step S410). In this case, the storedduplication of the copied file before the updating is also deleted inthe above-described method disabling restoring of the file. Because thecopied file is deleted, for example, if the client 2 is stolen and amalicious third party attempts to exploit information in the client 2,only the encrypted difference information that has not yet beentransmitted to the mediation server 4 remains, the copied file cannot berestored, and because the private-key information is not present in theclient 2, the difference information also cannot be decrypted.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a process occurring whenthe client in the file updating system according to the embodiment ofthe present invention is stolen. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the CPU 21determines using the computer program 101 running in the client 2whether the condition for being secure is satisfied. Specifically, forexample, when a certain length of time has elapsed since the last accessto the copied file, it is determined that the certain length of time istoo long for temporary leaving during the updating process and it isdetermined that the device may have been stolen.

When the CPU 21 determines that the condition for being secure is notsatisfied, because the n-th time difference information 51 and thecopied file 52 having already been updated n times are stored in theclient 2, the CPU 21 deletes the copied file 52, which has already beenupdated n times. Thus, the third party who has stolen the client 2 canread only the encrypted difference information 51. The client 2 has noprivate-key information for use in decrypting the differenceinformation, and the third party cannot acquire means for restoring thedifference information.

In that case, the n-th time difference information 51 is not applied tothe copied file in the mediation server 4, and the mediation server 4stores the copied file 54 to which the from first to (n−1)-th timedifference information 51 is applied.

Referring back to FIG. 4, the CPU 21 of the client 2 determines whethera check-in request to update the master file with the updated copiedfile has been accepted (step S411). When determining that the check-inrequest has been accepted (YES in step S411), the CPU 21 transmits thecheck-in request to the mediation server 4 (step S412) and determineswhether notification of the completion of the check-in process has beenreceived (step S413).

When determining that the notification of the completion has not beenreceived (NO in step S413), the CPU 21 waits for the notification of thecompletion. When determining that the notification of the completion hasbeen received (YES in step S413), the CPU 21 deletes the public-keyinformation and the stored copied file (step S414). When determiningthat the check-in request has not been accepted (NO in step S411), theCPU 21 returns the process to step S405 and the above-described stepsare repeated.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart that illustrates a procedure performed by the CPU41 of the mediation server 4 in the file updating system according tothe embodiment of the present invention. The CPU 41 of the mediationserver 4 receives a check-out request from the client 2 (step S701). TheCPU 41 receives the copied file in which the master file 111 being thefile identified by the check-out request is duplicated from the server 1and stores it in the copied-file storage unit 431 in the storage device43 (step S702).

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a process occurring incheck-out requesting in the file updating system according to theembodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 8, whenreceiving a check-out request from the client 2, the CPU 41 of themediation server 4 acquires the copied file 54 of the master file 111from the server 1 and stores it using the running computer program 100.

The CPU 41 generates the public-key information 30 and the private-keyinformation 31 and transmits the public-key information 30 and thecopied file to the client 2. The client 2 stores the public-keyinformation 30 and the copied file 52 being the target for updating. Theclient 2 performs an updating process on the stored copied file.

Referring back to FIG. 7, the CPU 41 of the mediation server 4 generatesprivate-key information and public-key information in association withthe stored copied file (step S703) and stores them in the storage device43 in association with information for use in identifying the copiedfile, for example, a file name (step S704). The CPU 41 transmits thegenerated public-key information and the copied file to the client 2,which has transmitted the check-out request (step S705).

The CPU 41 receives the encrypted difference information (step S706) anddecrypts the difference information using the stored private-keyinformation (step S707). The CPU 41 applies the decrypted differenceinformation to the stored copied file 54 and updates the copied file 54to the latest update state (step S708).

The CPU 41 determines whether a check-in request has been received fromthe client 2 (step S709). When determining that no check-in request hasbeen received (NO in step S709), the CPU 41 returns the process to stepS706 and the above-described steps are repeated. When determining thatthe check-in request has been received (YES in step S709), the CPU 41duplicates the stored copied file and transmits it as the updated fileto the server 1 (step S710) and determines whether notification of thecompletion of the updating of the master file 111 has been received fromthe server 1 (step S711).

When determining the notification of the completion has not yet beenreceived (NO in step S711), the CPU 41 waits for the notification of thecompletion. When determining the notification of the completion has beenreceived (YES in step S711), the CPU 41 transmits the notification ofthe completion to the client 2 (step S712) and deletes the public-keyinformation, private-key information associated with that public-keyinformation, and the copied file 54 (step S713).

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a process occurring incheck-in requesting in the file updating system according to theembodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 9, whenreceiving a check-in request from the client 2, the CPU 41 of themediation server 4 duplicates the stored copied file and transmits it asthe updated file to the server 1 using the running computer program 100.This enables the master file 111 to be updated to the latest updatestate.

The CPU 41 deletes the public-key information 30, the private-keyinformation 31, and the copied file 54. Thus, there are no files updatedto the latest state other than the master file 111, and the security ofthe file can be maintained at a high level. At the time of therequesting check-in, the public-key information 30 and the copied file52 stored in the client 2 are also deleted.

If the stolen client 2 is found or the like, the copied file can berecovered. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a processoccurring in recovering a file in the file updating system according tothe embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, only the difference information 51 which isthe encrypted n-th time difference is stored in the found client 2. Thisis because the copied file has already been deleted. When the client 2is connected again, the CPU 21 of the client 2 transmits the n-th timedifference information 51 to the mediation server 4 on condition thatthe user is authenticated as a legitimate user.

The CPU 41 of the mediation server 4 receiving the n-th time differenceinformation 51 can recover the copied file 54 to the state of updated ntimes by decrypting the difference information 51 using the private-keyinformation 31 and applying it to the copied file.

According to the present embodiment described above, because an updatingprocess is performed on a copied file stored in the mediation server 4and encryption-key information for use in encrypting and decrypting thedifference information is also generated in the mediation server 4, ifthe client 2 performing the updating process is missing, stolen, or thelike, the master file 111 in the server 1 can be prevented from beingdirectly tampered with or the like. When the condition for being secureis not satisfied, such as when no access to a copied file has been madefor a certain length of time or when a certain length of time haselapsed after disconnection from the network, the copied file can bedeleted, and the security of the master file containing classifiedinformation can be maintained at a high level.

Because difference information is encrypted using public-key informationand transmitted to the mediation server 4, if the client 2 is missing orthe client 2 is stolen, a copied file to which all the differenceinformation received by the mediation server 4 before the lost orstealing are applied can be restored. If the client 2 is found later,the copied file can be restored to the latest update state by theapplication of the difference information remaining in the client 2.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, andvarious changes and improvements can be made within the scope of thepresent invention. For example, when the mediation server 4 is logicallyindependent from the server 1, they may operate on a physically singlecomputer. When the condition for being secure is not satisfied, thepublic-key information 30 may be deleted simultaneously with deletion ofthe copied file 52 updated n times.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   1 server-   2 client-   3 network-   4 mediation server-   21, 41 CPU-   22, 42 memory-   23, 43 storage device-   24, 44 I/O interface-   25, 45 video interface-   26, 46 portable disk drive-   27, 47 communication interface-   28, 48 internal bus-   90, 91 portable recording medium-   100, 101 computer program

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method, executable in a system includinga server having a master file stored therein and a mediation servercommunicatively connected to the server and a client, comprising stepsof: the mediation server receiving and storing a copied file in whichthe master file stored in the server is duplicated; the mediation servergenerating private-key information and public-key information associatedwith the private-key information and transmitting the generatedpublic-key information and the copied file to the client; the clientreceiving and storing the copied file and the public-key information;responsive to updating the copied file, the client encrypting differenceinformation on a difference arising in the updating using the public-keyinformation and transmitting the difference information to the mediationserver; the client determining whether a condition for being secure issatisfied when a process for updating the copied file becomes possible;responsive to determining that the condition is not satisfied, theclient deleting the copied file; the mediation server receiving thedifference information from the client; the mediation server decryptingthe received difference information using the private-key information;the mediation server updating the stored copied file using the decrypteddifference information; responsive to a check-in request for the copiedfile being accepted, the client deleting the public-key information andthe copied file; and responsive to the check-in request for the copiedfile being accepted from the client, the mediation server replacing themaster file in the server with the updated stored copied file anddeleting the public-key information, the private-key informationassociated with the public-key information, and the updated storedcopied file.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conditionis information on a physical location where the client is used.
 3. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the client further performs stepsof: measuring a time elapsed since receipt of the public-key informationand the copied file from the mediation server; and determining whetherthe condition is satisfied using a time elapsed since a predeterminedpoint in time.
 4. A system for updating a file using a copied file inwhich a master file is duplicated, comprising: a server having storedtherein the master file; and a mediation server communicativelyconnected to the server and a client; wherein the mediation servercomprises a memory and a processor configured to: acquire and store thecopied file in which the master file stored in the server is duplicated,and generate private-key information and public-key informationassociated with the private-key information and transmit the generatedpublic-key information and the copied file to the client; wherein theclient comprises a memory and a processor configured to: receive andstore the copied file and the public-key information, responsive toupdating the copied file, encrypt difference information on a differencearising in the updating using the public-key information and transmitthe difference information to the mediation server, determine whether acondition for being secure is satisfied when a process for updating thecopied file becomes possible, and responsive to determining that thecondition is not satisfied, delete the copied file; wherein themediation server is further configured to: receive the differenceinformation from the client, decrypt the received difference informationusing the private-key information, and update the stored copied fileusing the decrypted difference information; wherein the client isfurther configured to, responsive to a check-in request for the copiedfile being accepted, delete the public-key information and the copiedfile; and wherein the mediation server is further configured to,responsive to the check-in request for the copied file being acceptedfrom the client, replace the master file in the server with the updatedstored copied file and delete the public-key information, theprivate-key information associated with the public-key information, andthe updated stored copied file.
 5. The system according to claim 4,wherein the condition is information on a physical location where theclient is used.
 6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the clientis further configured to: measure a time elapsed since receipt of thepublic-key information and the copied file from the mediation server,and determine whether the condition is satisfied using a time elapsedsince a predetermined point in time.